Portland State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Portland State University, a public university in Oregon, reports a 91% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Portland State University weighs, where it ranks among Oregon schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1180, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Portland State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Portland State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Portland State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Portland State University?
Your odds at Portland State University are not the same as its 91% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Portland State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Portland State University hard to get into?
Portland State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 91% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Portland State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Portland State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Portland State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Portland State University?
Portland State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1180. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Portland State University.
Your chances at Portland State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Portland State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Portland State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1120 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1120 SAT, the middle of Portland State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1180 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/portland-state-university.
How to get into Portland State University
Built from Portland State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Portland State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Portland State University carries about a 3.00 core GPA and a 1130 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
Portland State University rates rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Portland State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.pdx.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Portland State University, and how many get in?
Portland State University admitted 8,070 of the 8,877 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 90.9%. 1,580 enrolled. Only about 20% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Portland State University enrolls about 13,182 undergraduates in total, 56% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Portland State University?
Portland State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Portland State University looks for
What Portland State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Portland State University are rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Portland State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Portland State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Portland State University cost after financial aid?
Portland State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $21,590 per year. Tuition and fees are $11,679 for OR residents and $31,074 for out-of-state students, a $19,395 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $9,552 a year, and it ranges from $7,655 for families earning under $30,000 to $19,112 for families earning over $110,000. 42% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Portland State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Portland State University student who received federal aid earns $57,906 a year, up from $46,937 at six years. 53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $20,500; 32% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Portland State University compares in Oregon
Portland State University ranks #10 most selective of 15 schools in Oregon in our database.
Among the 15 Oregon schools we track, Portland State University ranks #10 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Bushnell University (67%) and Warner Pacific University (71%) sit nearby, which makes Oregon a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Portland State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Portland State University often weigh Cal State Fullerton, Cleveland State University, and Eastern Washington University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Portland State University's acceptance rate?
Portland State University admitted 8,070 of 8,877 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 90.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 20% of admitted students enrolled.
Is Portland State University test-optional?
Yes. Portland State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Portland State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Portland State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $9,552 a year against a sticker price of about $21,590. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,655 on average.
What do Portland State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Portland State University are $57,906 a year among students who received federal aid, and 53% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Portland State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Portland State University weighs rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Portland State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Portland State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Portland State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Portland State University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Portland State University?
Portland State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.